


The Viceroy of Vale

by LastCorsair



Category: RWBY
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:21:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22077631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LastCorsair/pseuds/LastCorsair
Summary: For half a millennium, the Empire of Atlas has chosen the viceroys of its kingdoms using trial by combat. This year's tournament features one of the youngest fighters ever, a girl with silver eyes.
Kudos: 9





	The Viceroy of Vale

**Author's Note:**

> Another unfinished story I'm porting over from Fanfiction.net. Enjoy!

The emperor fought to keep his expression neutral as he found his seat in the Imperial box. Frankly, he found the fact that the viceroys of the empire's satraps were chosen by a combat tournament rather bothersome and frankly barbaric. But tradition was tradition, and in ancient times one of the first duties of a ruler was to lead the defense of their people against Grimm. On the other hand, times change, and maybe it was time to revisit the idea of choosing viceroys by, say direct imperial appointment. After confirmation hearings and a vote by parliament, of course. It wouldn't do to give anyone the idea that he was trying to seize more power for himself, oh no. He stood and occupied himself while the national anthem played by pondering which of his puppets in parliament he'd 'encourage' to suggest changing how viceroys were chosen. Watts, Watts might be just the right person for the job. Then the anthem ended, and he stepped forward to give his speech to open today's final match.

The arena seated over a hundred thousand people, and Jacques would have bet there wasn't an empty seat in the house. It always was during the tournament, even for a regular match, and it was probably double-booked for the finals. Huge holo screens floated overhead, making sure that everyone could see the action. Frankly, they could probably have gotten the same view at home without the crowd and far cheaper, but there was always a certain prestige associated with being _there_ for an event like this. The roar of conversation across the seats below died down as the emperor began to speak.

" _Citizens of the empire,"_ he began, speakers around the arena carrying his voice, "for over half a millennium, the Atlesian Empire has chosen the viceroys of its tributary states through trial by combat, so that only those most capable of protecting their people would rule over them. Today, with our mighty armies standing watch against the Grimm, that trial by combat has become a grand tournament, for the enjoyment of everyone across the empire.

"And today the stakes are grander still. Not only can the winner claim dominion over the kingdom of their choice for themselves or those they represent, my daughter, Princess Weiss Schnee, will be theirs to claim in marriage if they so choose." He gestured to his left where Weiss stood. She bowed slightly before the crowd, her face a serene mask, just like he'd warned her it damn well better be, and the crowd roared with applause. Weiss was popular with the people, far more than her brother or sister. Jacques had even heard rumblings that he should designate Weiss as his heir instead of his son, Whitley. But the laws of inheritance were clear: A female child could only inherit a title, or in this case, the throne, if there were no male children, and even then, she was seen as only holding it in trust for any male descendants she might have. He shook his head, clearing it, then continued. "Bring forth the contestants."

From one end of the arena came a mountain of a man, making his way across the sandy floor toward the arena's center. He stopped between two of the stone columns that formed a ring

around the center, his face a mask of serene determination. "Yatsuhashi Daichi, fighting as the champion of Leo Lionheart, Viceroy of Mistral."

Jacques nodded. Once again, Lionheart had found another pawn to continue his rule. The man had been viceroy for forty years, perhaps it was time to be more… aggressive about suggesting his retirement.

Yatsuhashi's opponent stopped across from him, wind whipping their read cloak around as they stared at him. Finally, they spoke, and Jacques was surprised by how young they sounded. "Ruby Rose, fighting for the title of viceroy of Vale."

"You fight on behalf of no-one, to claim the title yourself?" the emperor asked, unable to believe what he'd just heard.

"Yes."

Next to him, Weiss leaned over, whispering in his ear. "She's fifteen, the youngest to make it to the finals in a century. And Cinder Fall was only sixteen when she won the tournament and became viceroy of Vale."

Jacques nodded, grateful for the information. Whoever was supposed to have briefed him today was damn well going to get fired. He normally kept better track of the tournament, but there had been that nonsense in Vacuo—! "Very well. May the gods smile upon both of you today. Begin."

For kong moments, the two combatants stood, neither one of them moving, the wind whipping between the stone columns scattered around the arena floor, fluttering Ruby's cloak. A war of nerves, was it? Well, it certainly added drama to the match, not that Jacques expected such a one-sided match-up to take long. He just wished they'd get on with it.

Finally, Yatsuhashi spoke, his deep voice carrying easily across the arena without any help. "Surrender now, and I promise you your life." The red-cloaked figure just stood there, not saying anything or visibly moving, although Weiss would have sworn that, just for a moment, the wind pulled Ruby's hood aside just enough she could see one corner of the girl's mouth turned up in a smile. Yatsuhashi just dipped his chin slightly. He didn't want to have to kill a young girl like this, not if he didn't have to, but she knew what could happen when she entered the arena. All too often, being the winner of the tournament just meant you were still alive.

Ruby's posture shifted slightly, probably just flexing to stay limber, but Yatsuhashi took that as his moment to act. He charged toward Ruby, his greatsword held at a high guard position, obviously trying to overwhelm her with a single, swift blow. No more than a few steps from her he raised his weapon for an overhand strike, and that's when Ruby decided to make _her_ move.

She dashed to one side in a blur of motion, her left hand reaching under her cloak to pull out her weapon. With a _whir-click-click-shing,_ it unfolded from its compact form into a full-size scythe and she whirled it around in both hands to bring the blade down full-force on Yatsuhashi's back.

The giant stumbled forward before spinning to face her, his weapon once again in a guard position. Yatsuhashi nodded as the crowd roared after this first exchange. He'd underestimated Ruby due to her age and small stature, but he should have known better. Anyone who could have made it to the finals of this tournament was an opponent to be taken seriously.

Now it was Ruby's turn to go on the attack, blurring toward Yatsuhashi, darting in to attack then back away again before he could do more than block or dodge. "Her semblance is speed," Weiss said quietly for her father's benefit. "She'll use that to her advantage, wearing him down. Her endurance isn't as high as his, though. So the question becomes, can she wear him down fast enough?"

"And if he manages to connect?" the emperor asked.

"Then she loses."

Ruby paused for a moment, cloak fluttering in the wind that whistled through the arena, the two opponents watching each other. They had each other's measure now, and both knew that this wasn't going to be a quick or easy fight. Yatsuhashi smiled. Win or lose, this was going to be a worthy battle. He ran toward her again, his blade held low this time, but instead of darting away she flipped over his weapon, using her scythe to knock the sword out of her way before bringing the butt of her weapon down on his foot.

A low _oooh_ came from the crowd as Ruby drew first blood; there was a spike on the end of her weapon. The emperor nodded, impressed despite himself. "She got through his aura first."

"Yes, but she's burning through hers quickly with all these speed attacks."

Jacques nodded again. He still wasn't sure how good of a decision it had been to indulge Weiss' decision to train to become a Huntress. Even though she'd had private tutors instead oft attending a combat academy the word had gotten out and it had made the public love her even more. Of course, her dream had to end. Weiss' duties as a princess of the imperial family far outweighed whatever good she might do as Huntress.

Movement on the arena floor interrupted the emperor's train of thought. If being stabbed through the foot bothered Yatsuhashi, he wasn't letting it show in the slightest. Before Ruby could retreat again, he reversed the direction of his blade, catching her in a backhanded blow that sent the speedster tumbling to the ground, her weapon slipping out of her grip to clatter against a pillar just out of reach. You could almost read the minds of the entire crowd at that moment. _And so it ends._

Before Ruby could get back to her feet, Yatsuhashi made a dash to one side, the hooked blade of his greatsword striking the pillar, sending it crashing to the ground where Ruby lay.

Yatsuhashi stood there, chest heaving from the exertion of the battle, watching the shattered remains of the pillar for any sign of life. Seeing none, he raised his sword over his head in victory but was confused when the crowd didn't roar in response.

"That was fun," a young girl's voice called, carrying across the arena floor. "I haven't had to run like that in a while." Yatsuhashi's mouth gaped as he saw that Ruby stood on the base of the pillar he'd just knocked over, her weapon perched casually over one shoulder. Blood trickled down her cheek from a fresh cut.

Enraged at having victory snatched from his grasp, Yatsuhashi's self-control broke. Roaring, he charged the broken pillar, raising his blade over his head before bringing it crashing down, sending dust and shards of stone everywhere. Ruby just flipped over his head, bringing her scythe down on him. Yatsuhashi spun around and brought his weapon up to block.

Their weapons locked with their faces close enough they could finally look each other in the eye. "Yield," Yatsuhashi said through clenched teeth.

"I can't," Ruby answered, not giving up an inch. "There's too much at stake."

"Neither can I," was Yatsuhashi's reply, and a moment of understanding flashed between them. This was a fight to the death, and no quarter would be asked or given.

The sand shifted under Ruby's feet, but instead of pressing forward again, she broke the deadlock and darted backward, drawing a deep breath in through her nose to steady herself. Yatsuhashi advanced on her grimly, his eyes flickering back and forth, watching for any hint of movement.

Yatsuhashi brought his weapon down low and Ruby made to block, but before he struck, Yatsu pushed his aura through his weapon, blasting sand at his opponent. She flinched from the underhanded tactic, but before he could follow through for a killing blow, she was in motion again. Ruby started running in circles around him, using the speed granted to her by her semblance to whip the spray of sand into a dust devil.

The sand lashing at him, Yatsuhashi just closed his eyes and waited, listening to the wind and 'feeling' for its rhythm. Suddenly he whirled and struck out, catching Ruby in her side and bringing her to a stumbling halt. "Your teachers should be ashamed of themselves. All you do is run away," he called out mockingly.

"It's all I need against a big, dumb, oaf like you," Ruby snapped, spitting on the arena floor to clear the blood from her mouth. He wanted her to stand and fight? Fine, she could use the rest. She brought the blade of her scythe down toward Yatsu's head, and when he brought his sword up to block, she jabbed at his leg with the butt spike. Her weapon had _two_ ends, dammit, and she'd hit him with whichever end she could.

He jerked his leg out of the way, conceding position to avoid being struck. "Your weapon is excellent, by the way. Being able to collapse it like that must be handy," Yatsu gasped as they went through another round of strikes, both giving as good as they got but neither one able to score a sound hit.

"Thanks, built it myself. The field version is also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle, so I can't use it in the tournament," Ruby grunted as she blocked an overhand strike from Yatsu with the scythe's haft.

Yatsu stopped, confused. "What?"

"It's also a gun." Before Yatsuhashi could resume his attack, Ruby swept her scythe to one side, sweeping his weapon aside and letting her bring the hook on the backside of her scythe's blade down into his left shoulder. Yatsuhashi cried out with pain; it was the hardest blow she'd hit him with yet, and he'd barely scratched her. Blindly he swung wildly with his greatsword, trying to hurt her as badly as she'd hurt him. Ruby jumped backward, letting go of her scythe in her attempt to dodge the blow, but the tip of Yatsu's sword still caught her on her thigh, opening a vicious slash and leaving her limping away.

Yatsuhashi smiled wickedly as he planted one of his enormous feet on the haft of her weapon. "Not so fast anymore," he shouted, "and I've got your weapon. Now you have to come to me. I wonder which of us will bleed out first."

"We'll see about that," Ruby muttered to herself. Huddled behind one of the pillars, she crouched down and placed her hands on the cut on her leg, channeling her aura into the wound. Using her aura to accelerate her healing like this would hurt like hell and drain it badly, but there wasn't any other option. She screamed from the pain, the sound echoing across the arena, and Yatsuhashi smiled, knowing the choice that Ruby had made and admitting to himself that he would have done the same.

After the screaming had ended, Yatsu watched as blurs of motion flickered between the pillars. He'd heard of the speed Ruby Rose's semblance granted her, but seeing it in action like this was something else entirely. No wonder her fighting style depended on hit and run tactics. Yatsu could only hope he had the endurance to outlast her. Certainly none of the others she'd faced during the tournament had, or how would she have made it this far?

Then he frowned as he realized that he hadn't seen Ruby move for a few minutes. Had she passed out from blood loss or shock? No, if she had, the observers would have announced it. So Ruby was still conscious, somewhere out there, which meant she was trying something… creative. So be it.

A clatter of stone drew his attention and Yatsu turned, only to realize a moment too late that it was a distraction, a thrown rock or chunk of rubble. Behind him was a rush of movement but before he could even turn his head, Ruby was on him, jumping on his back and wrapping her legs around his waist. "Nice move," Yatsuhashi laughed, "now wh-"

The answer to his unfinished question came as something tightened hard around his neck, cutting off his air supply. Yatsu's sword dropped limply from his hands as he gasped and fought for air, struggling to find purchase under the band or simply snap it. Finally, he ran for the nearest pillar, slamming his back up against it.

Ruby was too fast. Before his back hit the pillar, Ruby had dropped down between his legs, running toward where her weapon had fallen earlier. She grabbed her scythe from the ground without stopping and spun around, chest heaving with exertion as she faced Yatsuhashi.

Without hesitation, Yatsu ran for his weapon, scooping it off the ground and raising it barely in time to fend off a powerful swing from Ruby. They were both exhausted and it was starting to show. In desperation, Yatsuhashi swung his blade low, trying to get a killing blow past what he'd thought was a weakness in her defenses. Ruby swung her weapon end over end, the blade cutting through Yatsuhashi's forearm like it was tissue paper and sending his sword spinning to the ground, his hand still clutching its grip. "Surrender now, and I promise you your life."

The towering man just laughed grimly at the echo of his own words, then dived for his weapon, grabbing it in his remaining hand and rolling to his feet before hurling it clumsily at Ruby. She just sidestepped and brought her scythe down hard.

Before the light faded, the last thing Yatsuhashi saw was the blue sky above. Such a pale, pretty blue today.

Around the arena, the crowd held its breath, then erupted in a roar of applause and cheering. Jacques Schnee sat stunned for a moment before coming to his feet. _"Hail, Ruby Rose, champion of the tournament and the new viceroy of Vale!"_ he shouted, the loudspeakers echoing his words across the arena.

Down on the arena floor, Ruby staggered over to Yatsu's body. Carefully she leaned over and closed his eyes before slowly, painfully making her way back toward where she had entered the arena not long before, using her scythe to keep her standing. At this sign of respect for a fallen opponent, the crowd roared again, making the Emperor scoff. This one was going to be trouble.

Next to him, Princess Weiss watched impassively as the new champion finally made her way through the arena entrance, collapsing into the arms of two women waiting there. By the tournament rules, Ruby's victory wasn't official unless she made it off the field by herself. More than one 'victory' had been voided because the survivor had died of their wounds or passed out before making it off the field. "Father, if you don't mind, I'm going to pay a visit to our new champion. Make sure her wounds are properly tended to, arrange the protocol for tonight's victory celebration, that kind of thing."

Her father nodded, but before Weiss could turn to leave, he spoke. "Refresh my memory, Weiss. Is it legal in Vale for two women to marry?"

She nodded. "It is, although they both have to meet the usual requirements to marry. For example, Ruby would be able to marry at sixteen with her parents' permission. If that's what concerns you."

"It is." The Emperor frowned, then shrugged. "I don't normally approve of such relationships, but in this case, I suppose I would have to accept it. If our new champion decides to marry you, of course. Though it seems there is time before that becomes a pressing issue."

* * *

Officially the competitors' quarters in the arena were assigned through a combination of first come first served and luck of the draw. In reality, they were handed out based on how big a name the competitor was, how important their sponsors were, and how well the competitors and their backers bribed the arena staff. Someone like Yatsuhashi who had been a strong contender to win the tournament until an hour ago, who was backed by and the chosen champion of the viceroy of Mistral, would likely be assigned a lavish suite with all the amenities.

The quarters assigned to the girl who had beaten Yatsuhashi were… not so lavish. The corridor outside was dark and cramped, with overhead lighting that flickered, and Weiss wouldn't question it if someone told her Ruby's quarters were underground. Being assigned quarters down here was probably a not-so-subtle insult or hint to go home and forget about the tournament. The thought occurred to her that one of the minor perks of winning the tournament was a plaque commemorating your victory outside your quarters. Weiss wondered for a moment how many plaques there were on this floor. Not many, if any at all, she thought. Though Ruby's would be in place quickly if Weiss had anything to say about it.

As she got closer to Ruby Rose's quarters, Weiss found a wall of security people holding back a crowd that seemed like it wouldn't be willing to take no for an answer much longer. "Come on," a voice shouted from the crowd, "just let us ask her a few questions."

"I'm telling you like I've told everyone else, the new viceroy's not taking visitors right now. Give her a chance to rest. And there's this thing called a press conference, maybe you've heard of it?" one of the security people yelled in the direction the question had come from before turning to face Weiss. "I'm sorry, miss, that applies to you too," she said quietly, obviously hoping the princess would be reasonable.

Which she certainly intended to be. No need to make a scene, yet. "I am Princess Weiss. My father's asked me to make sure our new champion's needs are taken care of, and to take care of the protocol for this evening. Plus I'd like to meet the person who's won my hand in marriage."

The guard gave her a dubious look. "Forgive me, your highness, but I'm going to have to verify your identity. You're about the fifth 'Princess Weiss' I've seen since the match ended, one of which miraculously made it down here before the champion made it off the field."

Weiss smiled and offered her ID, then waited while the guard scanned it with her security scroll and verified Weiss' biometrics. She glanced at the crowd behind her, then said quietly to the head of her security detachment, "I don't think I'll need you in Viceroy Rose's quarters. I want you to reinforce these guards and clear this hallway. The vultures can wait for a press conference, if and when our newest viceroy decides to hold one." The head of her detachment nodded and stepped forward to confer quietly with the guard in charge.

Ignoring the voices behind her angrily demanding to know why Weiss got let through, the princess stepped up to the door and pressed the chime. After a moment, an annoyed voice answered her from inside. "Listen, I don't know who you are or how you talked your way past the guards, but fuck off. She's not giving interviews right now, and if you're still there when I open the door, I'm gonna shoot you. Pretty sure a viceroy's sister can get away with that."

"She might be able to arrange a pardon for you. After she's formally invested, of course. But I'm not here for an interview." Weiss took a deep breath. "I'm Princess Weiss, and I'm here to see that your sister's immediate needs are met and to handle the protocol for this evening. And if I have to prove who I am again within five minutes, well, I don't have a weapon to shoot you with, but I'm fairly certain one of my security people would be more than willing."

The door opened and a blonde woman holding a fairly sizable pistol in a crude prosthetic hand looked out at her. "I guess you do look like the princess after all. Come on, we're still getting Ruby patched up."

Inside, the front room looked and sounded like a locker room, which Weiss supposed it was. Ruby was sitting on a bench in her underwear, teeth clenched and trying not to move while a blonde man with a monkey tail felt around her ribs. "Damn, Ruby, he caught you good. I think the ribs are only cracked, but we should get them x-rayed as soon as we can." Ruby just nodded, her face a mask of exhaustion.

"Check it out, sis, your bride-to-be is here for a date," the blonde woman said, planting a hand on Weiss' back and pushing her forward with a laugh.

"I'm not-" Weiss glared at the blonde woman, then turned back to Ruby with a smile on her face. "Forgive me. I'm Princess Weiss Schnee, and my father sent me to make sure your needs were met, and to go over the protocol for tonight with you."

Ruby blinked. "Protocol? For tonight? What's that about? And what's this about my sister calling you my bride-to-be?"

The white-haired girl rubbed the bridge of her nose, fighting the headache she could feel coming on. "Tonight, assuming you've sufficiently recovered from your fight against Yatsuhashi Daichi, there will be a ceremony at the Imperial Palace, officially recognizing you as the winner of the tournament and the new viceroy of Vale. Your formal investment as viceroy will be held in Vale, of course. And as for the other thing," Weiss glared at Ruby, her pale blue eyes fixing the exhausted victor in place, "did you forget that my father, the emperor, promised my hand in marriage to the victor in the tournament. That is if you decide you want to marry me. I believe it functions as some sort of right of first refusal or something."

"Sorry," Ruby said, shrinking in on herself. "I was kinda focused on the 'becoming viceroy of Vale' part of the prize and surviving, not really on getting you as part of the deal. I mean, you're really pretty and a princess and all, but... I kinda really needed to win today. For, um, lots of reasons."

"It's fine," Weiss said politely. "Being very focused probably helped ensure your victory today. Nevertheless, I'd like to offer my assistance. With matters of protocol, transferring the governance of Vale from Cinder Fall to you, and, well, adjusting to your new position. Does that sound acceptable?"

"I suppose we could use a friend in the palace right about now," Ruby replied, glancing at her sister. The blonde woman just grinned and gave Weiss a wink. "Right, introductions then. You've met my sister, Yang. This ham-handed idiot bandaging me up is Sun. Blake went out to scrounge up more stuff to finish patching me up."

"Scrounge up?" Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you just buy them?"

"No sponsors, princess. We scrounged up the money to get us this far, but right now we're pretty much broke," Yang answered, shaking her head.

"So I'm assuming you don't have anything decent to wear for the ceremony tonight?" Weiss said sharply. This was downright embarrassing, having someone so, so _feeble_ winning the tournament.

"By your standards, probably not," Ruby muttered, trying to only talk out of one side of her mouth as Sun applied sealant to the cut on her cheek.

Weiss sighed. This was going to be a challenge. Fine, challenge accepted. "And given your constrained finances, I'm also assuming that you've all been staying here in the arena full-time, instead of alternating between here and a nearby hotel like most of the other competitors. Well-"

The door opened again, this time admitting a girl with cat ears poking out her long black hair and two other women, one with rabbit ears and both of them rather obviously pregnant. The woman without the rabbit ears stormed toward Ruby, yelling "You bitch! How could you!" and raising a hand as if to slap Ruby.

The rabbit-eared woman quickly grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Coco, I know you're mad, but Yatsu knew what could happen. What did you expect her to do, let him kill her?"

"But-but-" 'Coco' collapsed into the other woman's arms, sobbing. Yang and Ruby both looked at the cat-eared girl, who shrugged and looked embarrassed. "They said they had a message for Ruby that Yatsuhashi had given them, in case she won. I wasn't expecting hysterics."

"Sorry." The rabbit-eared woman looked up at them, the other woman still clinging to her. "I'm Velvet Scarlatina, and this is Coco Adel. We were Yatsuhashi's wives. He said that if lost the match today, we should find whoever won and beg for their protection." Velvet sighed.

"Tell them everything, Velv," Coco said, stepping away and pulling off her sunglasses to wipe her eyes.

Velvet gave a weak smile and continued. "Lionheart blackmailed Yatsuhashi into fighting for him. Yatsu's parents have always hated the two of us. When we met Yatsu, they'd just finished negotiating an arranged marriage that would have made them a lot of money. But he called it off less than a month after we met."

"I always thought that was just getting him laid," Coco muttered, making everyone chuckle.

Velvet rolled her eyes at Coco in response. "They kept trying to break us up, all sorts of dirty tricks to get Yatsu to come home and 'behave.' But we just kept on keeping on. Lately, they've been trying to get the marriage straight out annulled so that legally it never happened."

"Which is where Lionheart made his play. As viceroy, he has authority over every court in Mistral. He said that if Yatsu fought for him in the tournament, he'd rule in our favor. If not..." Coco trailed off with a shrug.

"And if Lionheart annuls the marriage, Yatsuhashi's estate would go to his parents. He was a champion, both as a Huntsman and in the arenas, so it's most likely rather considerable," Weiss added, a raised eyebrow tugging her scar as she looked at Coco and Velvet.

"We don't want the money, not for us, really," Velvet said, frowning at Weiss. "Yeah, it's a lot, but we just want to make sure Yatsu's kids are taken care of. It's the last thing he asked of us."

A gloomy silence settled in. "What are our options, Weiss?" Ruby finally asked quietly.

"Assuming you don't want to simply tell them to get lost-" Ruby scoffed. Like she'd turn away from anyone that genuinely needed help, and Weiss shrugged, "-for now, you can hire them, make them part of your entourage and later your household as viceroy."

"No money, princess, remember?" Yang interrupted, shaking her head.

The white-haired girl spun around, one finely-manicured finger waving angrily in Yang's face. "Stop calling me princess if you're going to keep making it an insult. Yes, I am a princess, and I grew up in a palace, and my father's the emperor, but it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows growing up. Look up the phrase 'gilded cage' sometime, assuming you can read. Or find someone to read it to you." The blonde bristled, but Weiss continued before she opened her mouth. "As the new viceroy of Vale, your sister is entitled not only to a generous salary but a not inconsiderable percentage of the taxes she collects for the empire as viceroy. Call it a sort of performance bonus if you will. That's in addition to all the other perks of the position, of course. Did you think that all you got for being a viceroy was a title and a plaque on your desk?" A thought popped up in Weiss's mind but she set it aside.

"Second," Weiss continued, taking a deep breath to calm herself, "as a viceroy, Ruby will have the emperor's ear just as much as Lionheart does. In fact, for the near future, you'll be expected to be in fairly constant contact with the emperor as you settle into your new role. If you wanted to, you could mention Coco and Velvet's situation to my father, tell him that you'd take it as a personal favor if Yatsuhashi's widows weren't left destitute. As a show of respect for a fallen opponent who fought well, that sort of thing."

"Weiss..." Ruby took a deep breath. "Listen, scrounging up the money, fighting in the tournament, all of this was just about getting rid of Cinder Fall. I mean, as viceroy of Vale, she kinda sucks and is really mean. I guess I didn't think it through past that."

Weiss blinked as Blake reached over and took Yang's artificial hand in hers, giving the crude gripper a tender squeeze. "It was supposed to be Yang fighting in the tournament instead of Ruby. Then a month before registration ended, Yang's arm gets 'accidentally' severed in a training match. And all the support she had vanished. It was a mad scramble to get the registration fee and everything else we needed for Ruby to fight. We didn't find out that the man that hurt Yang worked for Cinder until a couple of weeks ago."

"You think Cinder arranged Yang's injury deliberately?" Weiss asked, glancing from one sister to the other.

Ruby nodded. "No proof, not really, but it's a hell of a coincidence, don't you think?"

"Then you already have enemies, but at least you know who some of those enemies are." The idea that popped up in the middle of her tirade earlier came back, and Weiss smiled. "I have a suggestion for your first move..."

* * *

Ruby's jaw dropped as the improvised motorcade pulled up to the gate of a huge old-looking house. "Weiss, are you sure about this?"

Weiss nodded in response. "Of course. You're entitled to it, after all. This is the official Atlas residence of the viceroy of Vale. After her first few years in office, Miss Fall barely ever used it, so it's been sitting vacant. I've arranged for the normally nominal security to be increased, and added a small staff to see to your needs during your stay." She cleared her throat. "I've taken the liberty of arranging a visit from my wardrobe consultant to ensure you're properly dressed for tonight. They should be here in an hour."

"What's wrong with this?" Ruby asked, gesturing at the combat skirt she wore.

A metaphor sprang into Weiss's mind, and she smiled. "Would you wear a ball gown to fight Grimm?"

"Pft, no, you'd trash the dress. And it'd be really hard to fight in."

"Think of tonight's affair as a different sort of fight, then. This morning you showed them you were a warrior. Tonight people are going to look at you and see a young, inexperienced girl they can manipulate to their ends. We need to show them differently." Weiss gestured out the window as the car came to a halt. "This is your house now. Own it."

 _Own it. Right._ Ruby took a deep breath as a man in a nondescript gray suit that practically screamed 'security trying to blend in' opened the door. She stepped out of the car and tried not to be intimidated by the elegant edifice of stone before her. Or wobble. Not wobbling was going to be hard.

She glanced around, noting the landscaping crews trimming hedges, riding around the lawn on mowers the size of farm equipment, working in the flower bed. "She let this place go, didn't she?"

"Unfortunately, she did." The princess winced as she remembered the last party she'd attended here. "I, um, I should warn you about the decorating—"

"It can't be that bad," Ruby laughed as she marched toward the front door.

It wasn't that bad. It was _terrible._ Gold lamé curtains everywhere, insane amounts of over-detailed molding with gold leaf accents, statues and sculptures arranged without rhyme or reason, the whole entry hall was an assault on the senses. Ruby didn't want to imagine what the rest of the building looked like. "Weiss?"

"Yes, Ruby?"

"I'm not allowed to just burn the place to the down or demolish it, am I?"

"No, unfortunately."

"Then, um, can we call your dad and ask him for an advance on my salary? Because this, I can't have this." Ruby took a deep breath to steady herself. Her house now, huh? "Okay, find me an interior decorator, one with some _taste,_ not one that's just going to try and sell me the most expensive thing they can. See if there's, I don't know, some sort of household budget we can bill this to or something. No, scratch that. First, get me a stack of interior decorating magazines, so I have some idea of what I want, _then_ find me the decorator. Somebody you'd use and trust, Weiss.

"You." Ruby's finger stabbed at someone pushing a cart full of cleaning supplies. "Do you have a decent idea of the layout of this place? Good. I don't suppose you know where the master bedroom is? Great. Can you show me the way? I have officially earned my pay today and am going to go pass out for at least a couple of hours."

"But-" Weiss started to interrupt.

"Two. Hours. At least. One last thing before I go. _That-"_ Ruby's finger pointed again- "has to go. Before I wake up if you can manage it."

 _That_ was a fifteen-foot bronze statue of Cinder Fall, in the same outfit she'd worn when she won the title of Viceroy. Although there seemed to be some… enhancements. "I've seen pictures of Cinder Fall," Yang mused, wandering over to the statue's base. "Didn't think her boobs were that big."

"I've met her. They're not," answered Weiss with a grimace.

"Yeah, that's really got to go. First priority," Ruby said with a weary sigh. The morning was starting to catch up with her. "Yang, what are you doing?"

Her sister straightened up from where she'd been peering under the statue's skirt. "Just having a look, sis." Ruby rolled her eyes and gestured for the cleaner to lead her away before something else provoked her to murder.

By the time she reached the master bedroom, Ruby was ready to order Cinder's execution for crimes against good taste. The assault on the senses let up in the rest of the house, but not by much, and it doubled down in the bedroom. At least it didn't have the huge hideous statue.

She stretched out on the ridiculously huge bed, not bothering to undress or take her boots off. At least the hard part of today was over, right?

* * *

By the time they arrived at her victory celebration, Ruby was willing to admit to feeling human again. The nap, some painkillers and aura restorers Weiss' doctor had provided, and some coffee had worked wonders and Weiss's 'wardrobe consultant' (which turned out to just be someone who helped you figure out what to wear) had made figuring out what to wear easy if more complicated than Ruby was used to.

Instead of her normal combat skirt and boots, tonight Ruby wore red pumps and black slacks that would hide her still-healing injuries. A scarlet overbust corset and black jacket with red trim completed the look. None of it was Ruby's usual style, but she had to admit, it all came together to make her look more mature. And she damn well felt like a champion now, but that might just be the painkillers talking.

Applause from the crowd greeted Ruby as she made her entrance, and she snagged a glass of what she hoped was ice water from a server's tray, raising it in acknowledgment. An older man with a woman that looked young enough to be his granddaughter on his arm was the first to approach her. "Congratulations on your victory, Viceroy Rose. I'm Lord Daethys, and I've got something I'd like to discuss with you. I've been looking to expand my company's operations into Vale, but Viceroy Fall was… less than receptive. I'm hoping that you and I will be able to come to a better understanding."

Ruby laughed politely. "It's too early to say. I haven't even been officially invested as viceroy yet, plus your proposal would have to be evaluated first."

He frowned. "I was hoping we could simplify matters, work things out just between us."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that," Ruby said, shaking her head. "I've got a whole kingdom to think about now. If you'll excuse me."

As Ruby and Weiss wandered away, Ruby lifted her glass to her lips before muttering, "And how bad of a deal do you think he was trying to get an exhausted fifteen-year-old girl to agree to?"

The question surprised Weiss enough that she gave a more honest answer than she normally would have. "One you would have regretted eventually, but found hard to get out of, I'm sure." Ruby just lifted her glass a little to Weiss before turning to acknowledge another well-wisher, this one more honest or at least less blatant than Lord Daethys.

Now she found herself watching Ruby as she wandered through the party, stopping to accept congratulations on her victory and make small talk. The smile on Ruby's face didn't change, but Weiss noticed Ruby's odd silver eyes flashing back and forth, watching not just the person she was talking to, but who was watching them, and her. _Just like a fighter watching someone to learn their fighting style, their weaknesses,_ the princess thought to herself. _Well, I did tell her this was a different sort of fight, didn't I?_ Well, Weiss could help Ruby train for her next social engagement.

It occurred to her that she hadn't seen Ruby at her best that morning, had she? The difference between the sunken, sullen girl from that morning and the bright, friendly one laughing at a joke told by a girl that was maybe nine years old at the most was the difference between night and day. Ruby even signed the autograph book the girl shyly produced, much to the surprise of the girl's parents. Weiss mentally assigned herself the task of training Ruby to handle high society appropriately, assuming Ruby could be convinced to let her stay around, of course.

Fanfaredrew everyone's attention and the crowd bowed or curtsied as the Emperor made his entrance at the top of the stairs on the far end of the room. "No, no, I refuse to stand on ceremony tonight, because tonight is not about me, but about someone who has become not only the youngest champion of the tournament but the youngest viceroy ever. Ruby Rose, come forth."

Ruby made her way toward the stairs, and Weiss found herself chewing her lip nervously. She'd run through the ceremony several times with Ruby, but she wasn't sure how Ruby was going to handle the pressure, and there were no second chances to make a first impression, not with the entire empire watching. The young girl climbed the stairs carefully, stumbling slightly at one point, but hopefully, that could be blamed on her leg injury. Ruby knelt gingerly on the pillow at the Emperor's feet and bowed her head.

"First," the emperor said, "this medal in recognition of your victory. You now carry the rank of knight and the admiration of everyone across the empire." There was polite applause as he hung the pale blue ribbon with its crossed swords device around Ruby's neck, but everyone was waiting for what was next.

"And now," he continued, "I bestow upon you the position and title of Viceroy of Vale, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities that position holds." There was a murmur of shocked conversation as the emperor himself hung the heavy gold chain encrusted with emeralds and bearing the seal of the kingdom of Vale around Ruby's neck instead of it being done by Cinder Fall. Where was she?. "It saddens me, however, that your first responsibility must be a grim one."

"S-sire?" Ruby asked, stumbling over the unfamiliar word.

He gestured for her to stand as he half-turned to face the crowd. "I"m sure some of you have already heard, but Cinder Fall is refusing to recognize Viceroy Rose's victory, claiming she won by cheating and denouncing it as fraudulent. Miss Fall is also refusing to recognize her lawful successor and claiming that she is still the true viceroy of Vale." A murmur rose from the crowd and the emperor stopped, looking at Ruby for her reaction.

"What would you have me do, sire?" Ruby asked, forcing herself to stand up straight even though she dreaded what she knew was coming.

"By refusing to recognize you as the champion of the arena and the new viceroy of Vale, Cinder Fall has violated centuries of tradition and imperial law, plus she has refused to obey my direct orders to appear here tonight." The emperor shook his head before continuing. "She is now in open revolt against the empire, something that cannot be tolerated from someone in such a high position. Therefore your first task as Viceroy is to remove your predecessor from office, and place her under arrest."

Weiss could see Ruby nod in acknowledgment. Damn her father; he was using Cinder's refusal to recognize Ruby's victory as a test for Ruby, one he'd publicly set her up to fail. "Bastard," the princess hissed, her fists clenched in rage.

Ruby surprised her again, though. She didn't look afraid; instead, she just nodded in acknowledgment and said, "Understood, sire. I have allies in Vale; with your permission, I'll contact them and come up with a plan."

The emperor waved at her dismissively, obviously expecting her 'allies' to be nothing more than teenagers like herself.

Ruby made her way down the stairs and toward Weiss. "Ruby, what are you thinking? He's setting you up to get killed?" Weiss asked quietly, pulling Ruby aside.

"I know." Ruby grinned at Weiss. "I knew something was up when I saw Cinder wasn't here to hand over her seal and things. I paid attention to those videos we watched of the investment ceremony. But I do have allies in Vale. Even if some of them are kinda gonna be pissed at me about this, they'll help. I hope."

* * *

The next night, an airship streaked toward Vale, two more trailing behind it as escorts. _"Vale tower, this is Manta One-Five-One, carrying the new Viceroy of Vale. Please acknowledge and have Cinder Fall meet us at the landing pad, over,"_ it radioed, even though the Vale control tower had ignored every time it'd made the same transmission.

As the airships crossed the harbor, missiles streaked from the grounds of the Vale Grand Tower, arrowing through the sky at them. They tried to evade, corkscrewing and using countermeasures in a futile attempt to avoid the missiles, but one by one, they were obliterated, their wreckage tumbling toward the harbor to burn pitifully on the water before sinking into the ocean.

At the edge of the harbor, Ruby Rose lowered the binoculars she'd been using to watch the approaching airships. "So much for doing this the easy way," she muttered.


End file.
